Mount Polley tops agenda for meeting between anti-Ajax group and Kamloops MLAs
NEWS/ AJAX — The Mount Polley tailings-pond disaster will be at the top of the agenda when the Kamloops Area Preservation Association meets with MLAs Terry Lake and Todd Stone.
MLA and Health Minister Terry Lake.
A date for the meeting hasn’t been set but KAPA is hoping for September and, at the least, before KGHM International presents its environmental permit application. KGHM has said it expects the application to be ready by the end of next march, but KAPA expects it could be as early as December.
The agreement to set up a meeting came after KAPA staged a rally at Lake’s North Shore office this week protesting his earlier reluctance.
“That’s wonderful,” KAPA member Fawn Knox told The Armchair Mayor News on Friday of the news that both MLAs are now willing to meet. “Terry Lake and Todd Stone are going to come and talk to us. I hope it’s as soon as possible.”
She said the Mount Polley tailings-pond disaster and the implications for a plan by KGHM to build a wet tailings pond at Ajax is “at the top of the list.”
Another issue on the list is the request to the B.C. Environmental Assessment Office for a second public comment period in view of KGHM’s redrawn site plan for the Ajax proposal. That request is being formally made by Kamloops City Council.
Knox said KAPA wants a town hall meeting as part of the process, where questions can be asked of the company in public. “What we really want is a whole new process started.”
Anne Neave, another KAPA member, said the group will have new information to raise with the MLAs. “We will be preparing the information that we have and it will be based on new information,” she said.
She said there are basic flaws in the environmental process that need to be addressed.
KAPA will also press the MLAs on the need for a full health impact assessment and revisions to the Mineral Tenure Act.
ArmchairMayor.ca 
Hi Mel, I think your readers may be interested in this: http://www.vancouversun.com/news/Major+Imperial+Metals+shareholder+billionaire+Murray+Edwards/10102715/story.html
Doesn’t that seem like a conflict of interest? Shouldn’t our politiciansbe disclosing this information? How can we reasonably expect them to be completely honest and objective?
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Good find an thank you for it. A conflict of interest? A little…
I wonder where the Kamloops Daily News was when this was going on. Funny how these kind of stories were never featured in the good old KDN.
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What KAPA has been seeking for 3 years now is not obstructionist. The group is merely seeking what the Town of Marathon has for a proposed open pit mine that is much smaller than Ajax and 10 km. from town – an expert panel review where experts can question experts in a public hearing setting. Given the complexities and risks inherent in building an open pit mine next to a city of nearly 100,000 people, I think this request is entirely justified. Instead we have a review process that is being largely conducted behind closed doors and that is ignoring many key issues (e.g. financial feasibility of the mine to pay for mitigation and compensation costs, leaving toxic elements like chromium and manganese out of the human health and ecological risk assessment, not having a meteorological station on the mine site). A truly open, rigorous, and transparent review process will result in a better mine design and reduce the risk of a Mt. Polley-like disaster. Governments and the mining industry need to restore public trust, and one way of doing this is to get it right with the Ajax project by appointing a federal/provincial expert review panel. This review panel is also being sought by the First Nations where meaningful consultation with First Nations has been reaffirmed by the recent Supreme Court of Canada Tsilhqot’in decision. Why are governments and the mining industry so afraid of an open and rigorous review process?
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Careful what questions you ask Don, “Irene” will accuse you of ranting! LOL…have a nice day “Irene” :)
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I suppose that every time Ajax makes a change in its planning, KAPA wants to have a town hall meeting. So many, many years down the road, we are still going to be having a new process started. Finally if a collection of town hall meetings are held, are these meetings going to be respectful of what is stated, or will the meetings evolve into a series of shouting matches. etc. Which proves absolutely nothing, except which side has the loudest voices.
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You’re right L. Beaton. We should just go along with everything KGHM wants and do nothing to educate ourselves regarding this important issue. Not!
You do realize KGHM has never actually held a proper Town Hall meeting – ever? Although they have promised to several times. They’ve also promised to keep council up to date as information has become available – how’s that been working out?
Highly paid reps from this company and/or it’s staunch project proponents have been invited to publicly debate the issues as well….do they? For some reason they aren’t willing too.
Are they afraid – of what a little heat? Or is their position truly indefensible and they know it?
Trust and respect must be earned and this company has done nothing to garner either in my opinion. The closest of scrutiny is called for in this situation and you should be grateful other people are willing to stick their necks out to demand it since clearly you are not… it works to your benefit as well even if you don’t support their position.
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So, L Beaton asks some perfectly reasonable questions and “Kim” goes on a rant about everything to do with KGHM. I rarely feel sorry for Politicians, however in this case I can understand their reluctance about meeting with this group.
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Kim, you couldn’t have said it better. Lawrence you mention KAPA wants a town hall meeting for every change, like it is an inconvenience to inform Kamloops residents of what to expect. I agree with you 100 percent that Ajax has given Kamloops residents the feeling we are an inconvenience to inform in any way.
If only KGHM would hold the Town Meeting they have promised us. KGHM also said they would meet with groups to answer questions but then they refused to meet with the Aberdeen Community Association and KAPA. Every turn Kamloops residents try to find out information and we are rebuffed with 1. We don’t know that information now, 2. I am not aware of that but if you talk to XXX they can provide it and when you find XXX you are back at 1. Keep in mind that is only if you are able to get them to talk to you at all. Ajax keeps us in the spin cycle and it has been several years now with no real answers to any questions.
How can we trust a company that is afraid to answer questions?
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If a company wants to come in two kilometers from our neigbourhood and create a multitude of risks for our families, darn right they can expect to have tough questions asked in public! And someone (c’mon government/EAO) should make sure they don’t sugarcoat anything and that they tell the WHOLE truth.
They have no right to come into our city and impose risks on us for their financial benefit. There are so many costs with mining that are not borne by the company, rather they are borne by the community.
I wish you would scrutinize the company and their statements with the same critical thinking skills you appear to apply to those who oppose the project. You may be surprised by what you find.
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Your Premier, Christy, stated that these resource projects need to gain “social license”, so I guess you should go along with the process, Lawrence.
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